Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector pair with mutually connectible first and second electrical connectors. The first electrical connector has a multiplicity of contacting elements which are brought into contact with contacting elements of the second electrical connector through relative movement in a contacting direction. The contacting element are disposed in at least one row along a row-alignment direction.
Where a first electrical connector provided for mounting on an electric printed circuit board is to be electrically and mechanically connected (soldered) to the board by surface mounting, i.e., in an SMT process, the connector is advantageously constructed in such a way that its contacting elements and the assigned terminal devices (conventionally soldering posts, which may be angled away) are distributed on both sides of the printed circuit board and are connected to the respective surfaces of the printed circuit board sides. This is primarily due to the fact that the connecting points or soldered joints, which are to be provided next to the electrical connector in the state when it is mounted on the printed circuit board, are limited in number for practical reasons.
Such an electrical connector has become known heretofore from European patent EP 0 278 868 B1. The electrical connector described there has a central, groove-like cutout formed on its rear side which renders it possible to push the electrical connector over the edge section of an electric printed circuit board. It is thereby ensured that its contacting elements and the assigned terminal devices are distributed on both sides of the electric printed circuit board and they can thus be provided in a comparatively large overall number.
The cutout in the electrical connector is advantageously adapted to the thickness of the printed circuit board. This brings with it, however, the disadvantage that printed circuit boards of different thickness require the use of electrical connectors of different construction. Moreover, plugging an element onto the edge of a printed circuit board is an operation which cannot be carried out automatically by conventional component mounting machines for surface mounting.
That problem could be solved, as is disclosed in European patent publication EP 0 360 625 A2, by constructing the electrical connector not in a single piece but in two pieces. It is possible for one connector element to be arranged on one side of the printed circuit board, and for the other connector element to be arranged independently thereof on the opposite side of the printed circuit board.
However, in that configuration the electrical connector is relatively sensitive to mechanical loads. Specifically, if the positioning, the alignment, and/or the dimensions of the first electrical connector, and/or of the second electrical connector, which is to be brought into or is in contact therewith, are not accurately tailored to one another, it is possible that when the two connectors are being brought into contact or are in contact with one another, forces may act on the first electrical connector which, because the SMT connecting points can be loaded only relatively weakly, effect, or at least promote, detachment or tearing of the connector from the printed circuit board.